CORE

Located in

Inhabitants

BGM

The CORE is a region between Hotland and New Home, found after the MTT Resort. It is a technologically advanced facility that provides magical electricity to the Underground.[1] There is an elevator to New Home in the center of the CORE.[2] The entire structure is designed so that the rooms inside can change positions and the layout can be altered.[3]

Contents

Appearance

The CORE is an entirely mechanical complex that is largely blue and cyan with red accents. Purple paths and bridges link some rooms. The CORE appears to be the most industrial and modern region of the Underground.

The CORE has lavish decoration. Multicolored neon tubes serve as wall ornaments and embellishments. The floors of many rooms are engraved with intricate patterns. Lasers, both decorative and functional, dot the region. Despite the detail work, some parts of some walls and floors are chipped away.

Ozone, a byproduct of electrical power, is omnipresent below the floor level of the CORE.[4] This explains why the CORE seems to be made of stainless steel, titanium, or platinum; ozone is highly corrosive to most organic materials.

The substance below the ozone quickly melts the ice thrown by the Ice Wolf. The ice supposedly cools the CORE down. However, cooling may not be required as the Ice Wolf does not throw ice after Snowdin's evacuation in the Genocide Route. Alternatively, the CORE could be a source of ozonated water, which cleans clothes, sanitizes food, and purifies drinking water. In this case, the CORE not being cooled is not hazardous; ozone simply decomposes into oxygen at high concentrations and temperatures.

Main Story

Before the events of Undertale, the CORE was built by the former royal scientist, W. D. Gaster.[5]

Neutral or True Pacifist Route

After leaving the MTT Resort, the protagonist enters the CORE, and immediately Alphys becomes worried. There is an excess of enemies, the elevator is not functioning, and the pathway to the right of the elevator is completely missing. Alphys guides the protagonist to the left pathway instead and ends up making poor recommendations for the protagonist. She eventually stops talking to protagonist out of embarrassment. As the protagonist comes to the end of the CORE, they meet Mettaton once more. He reveals to the protagonist that it was he who hired monsters to attack the protagonist, broke the elevator and rearranged the pathways in the CORE.

Mettaton explains that all of the encounters between him and the protagonist, as well as all of the puzzles the protagonist must complete, were designed by Alphys as a way for her to insert herself into the protagonist's story due to her admiration. Mettaton, however, got bored of this and by the start of the CORE began to plot legitimately against the protagonist, so as to cause incredible drama and excitement within his show. Likewise, him gaining the soul of the main character would allow him to prevent Asgore from destroying humanity, and allow him to exit the barrier and become famous on the Surface - in front of "hundreds of millions" of fans.

After the protagonist defeats Mettaton, Alphys makes her way into the room and panics over the damage done to Mettaton:

If the protagonist spared Mettaton, Alphys reveals in relief that his batteries simply ran out. She reassures the protagonist, falsely reminding them that Mettaton is just a robot.

If the protagonist killed Mettaton, Alphys tries to conceal her pain from losing her friend. She lies to the protagonist that Mettaton can be replaced with another robot.

Right before leaving for the city, Alphys reveals that Asgore cannot allow the protagonist to leave, and for them to escape, they will have to kill Asgore and harvest his SOUL to be strong enough to pass the barrier.

After this, the protagonist enters the elevator and leaves for New Home.

Genocide Route

After leaving the MTT Resort, the protagonist enters the CORE. The elevator is functional, and the door leading to New Home is unlocked, allowing the protagonist to continue straight on to Mettaton.

Mettaton makes his last stand, transforming into Mettaton NEO. The protagonist kills Mettaton in a single attack:

If the protagonist has not killed as many monsters as possible up to that point, the Genocide Route is abandoned as, according to Mettaton, the protagonist was holding back. The protagonist may continue to New Home on the Neutral Route.

If the protagonist has killed as many monsters as possible up to that point, Mettaton makes a brief quip before dying, and the Genocide Route may be continued into New Home.

Gallery

Exterior view of the CORE

The CORE's entrance

Monsters blocking the way

The protagonist standing at the end of the CORE

The protagonist being blocked by Mettaton

Trivia

The majority of enemies in the CORE are harder counterparts of enemies in the Ruins, which also appear in Hard Mode.

Even though the CORE is classified as its own area, it shares a kill counter with Hotland on the Genocide Route.

The ice thrown by Ice Wolf from Snowdin travels through the Underground to the CORE, where it melts to cool it down.[6]

The visual design of the CORE, as well as the fact its music continues through battles, was likely inspired by the Ocean Palace in Chrono Trigger, one of Undertale's major inspirations.

The "smell of ozone" SAVE point may be a reference to the VVVVVV room captioned "I Smell Ozone".

Because this place is the only non-Hard Mode place to have Astigmatism, Whimsalot, and Final Froggit, and Reaper Bird is composed out of these three enemies, it is possible that Reaper Bird's home is set at the CORE.

References

↑"That's the CORE. The source of all power for the underground. It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by... Uhh, anyway, that's where we're going to go. In the CORE is an elevator directly to ASGORE's castle." - Alphys

↑"I work at the CORE. The inside is a maze made of swappable parts... That means we can shuffle the layout at will." - Hotland NPC

↑"(The air is filled with the smell of ozone... it fills you with determination.)" - SAVE point flavor text

↑"It makes sense why ASGORE took so long to hire a new Royal Scientist. After all, the old one... Dr. Gaster. What an act to follow! They say he created the CORE. However, his life... Was cut short. One day, he fell into his creation, and..." - Gaster Follower 2

↑"Papyrus: THAT FURRY PERSON THROWS ICE ALL DAY. NOBODY KNOWS WHERE IT GOES.Undyne: Hey, I know! Alphys told me... It goes to Hotland to cool down the CORE!" - The phone call in room_tundra_town2. Retrieved January 3, 2015 from https://pcy.ulyssis.be/undertale/calls